1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to air bars for floatingly guiding and suspending advancing a paper web of indeterminate length and relates specifically to mounting means for such air bars.
2. Background Information
Air bars utilized in web drying equipment of the type to which the present invention pertains must be accurately adjusted relative to their distance from the web in order to properly suspend the web and float it without flutter. Generally the air bars are adjusted relative to the web by moving the entire upper bank of air bars relative to the web and/or moving the entire bank of lower air bars relative to the web. Such adjustments are shown in the U.S. patents to Creapo et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,739,491, issued June 19, 1973, or U.S. Pat. No. 3,776,440 to Frost et al, issued Dec. 4, 1973. While these adjusting devices for the air bars did perform satisfactorily, certain situations arose wherein the individual air bars required adjustment relative to the web or relative to the other air bars. Furthermore, certain of the air bars required that they be adjusted as to the angle of discharge against the web, that is, special air bars such as air foils caused web flutter under certain circumstances.
The above two patents utilize sealing means for the air bars relative to their air supply headers which were known as the race track type sealing gaskets in which the oval shaped gaskets carried by the air bars simply abutted against flanges on the air supply headers and did not provide for any adjustment between the air bars and the headers, more particularly did not provide any individual adjustment of the air bars relative to the web.